ISPs are not as secure are you may think, particularly if they store information
The recent court order requiring Google to hand over information on users’ details to Viacom for a copyright infringement case has caused some concern in privacy circles.
This information includes the user names and IP addresses of YouTube users and, while Viacom has stated that they will not be using this information to sue people who have uploaded illegal content, there is nothing preventing them from doing so.
This has called into question the security of internet users’ security of information, since an ISP that retains information of one’s surfing habits could be ordered via subpoena to turn that information over to another party. Currently, an IP can only be used to locate the ISP.
But the ISP can be ordered to reveal which party was assigned a specific IP during a specific time frame, a tactic that is already being used by record companies to prosecute illegal downloaders.
Which means to say that regardless of whatever privacy agreement one has with a service provider, that information can be handed over if so ordered by a court.
This begs the question: should privacy laws be updated and ISP information retention be limited?
Brett Venter
